Wax-sweating apparatus



STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT HOUSI-IOLDER, 0F FLORENCE, COIIORAIDO.

WAX-SWEATING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT HoUsHoLDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Florence, in the county of Fremont and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wax- Sweating Apparatus, of which the followin isa specification.

ly invention relates to apparatus for the extraction of oil from slack wax in what is commonly known as the sweating process and its primary object is to provide an apparatus of veryx simple construction which by a uniform distribution of heat through the slack wax under treatment, and the proper circulation and application of cooling` and heating fluids,` greatly expedites the wax sweating process and permits of its being performed with a minimum ex penditure of labor and fuel.

ln comparison with the ordinary process of sweating wax as it is at present commonly performed, my improved apparatus is advantageous in that it saves the large` percentage of wax lost in the old method by improper application of heat, and that in its operation exhaust steam may be utilized thus saving coal and labo v With the above and other objects in view, all of which will fully appear in the course of the following description, my invention consists in the novel arrangement and construction of devices shown in the ,accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through thel improved wax sweating apparatus;

Figure 2, a plan view of one of the units thereof, a portion of the perforated screen being broken away to show subjacent parts of the apparatus;

Figure 3, a section taken in a plane indicated by the line Figure 1, and

Figure 4, a transverse section on the line 4 4, Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings. the reference characters 2 are used to designate the several units which operate independent of each other and in association with a common vsource of heat supply.

, 4 is divided into an open upper compartment 5 and a lower compartment 6 which has a valve-controlled outlet 7.

Serial No. 311,326. f

forated partition ofthe pan, has its ends projecting through an end thereof for connection with headers 13 and 14 for the in` take and exhaust of water or steam, and perforated pipes 15 resting upon the bottom surface of the pan, extend along its sides `and project through its opposite end to connect with sources of water and steam supply. Valves 16 and 17 control the flow of fluid lbetween the headers and the coil and valves 18 and 19 control the admission of ste-am or water to the perforated pipes 15.

The several units are supported in spaced Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 28, 1922 Application filed July 1G, 1919.

and superposed relation to 'each other'upon a. skeleton structure 20 made of steel or other suitable metal.

The space below the lowermost pan vis.

-fluid between the manifolds and the different coils.

In the operation of the apparatus a mixture of wax and oil, commonly known as hard orfslack wax, is heated in a separate tank to a liquid'condition and pumped into the upper compartments of the several units of the sweating apparatus afterthe lower compartments/thereof have been filled with water through the medium of pipes 15, to prevent the liquid contents of the upper compartments from percolating through the openings of the perforated partitions.y

After the upper compartments have thus been filled with slack wax,'cold water .is circulatedv through the coils 12 until the wax is congealed into a firm and solid mass. The water inthe lower compartments which constituted a supporting body for the wax 1n liquid form, is now drawn off to provide a space beneath the screens of the units to receive the oil which percolates through the meshes of the screens.

The oil contained in the wax is to this end converted into liquid forni by the application of heat obtained from steam circulating through the coils in the heating chambers.

The heat conveyed to the chambers bly the steam, arises through the multitude of open-ended flues which extend through the wax compartments of the units and heats the contents of the compartments uniformly and in the minimum of time.

The oil is thus sweated out of the wax and after percolating through the meshes of the perforated partitions accumulates in the lower compartments of the units and is subsequently removed therefrom through the valve-controlled `outlets 7.

After all the oil is thus separated from the wax and'fremoved from the pans, the lower compartments are thoroughly washed by the use of water supplied through the perforated pipes l5 after which the wax remaining in the. upper compartments is converted to liquid form by the circulation of steam through the coils l2 in the upper compartments of the units.- The liquid wax percolates through the perforated screens and is discharged from the'y pans through the outlets 7.

It often occurs that the wax after its oil has been separated therefrom by the separating process, has a rancid odor and requires sweeteningf which in my apparatus is readily accomplished by the application of steam through the perforated pipes in the lower compartments of thepans.

It will be observed that by circulating the heating medium through coils which are separated from each other'and separately connected with supply and discharge pipes, the heat-supply is under control of the operator, which is of particular advantage when it is desired to sweat the oil out only, since it prevents the sweating away of low melting` point wax.

inasmuch as the wax is in view during the entire sweating ope-ration, samples of wax can be taken at anytime and the heat reg nlated according to its temperatures by adjustment of the valves which control the connections between the heat coils -and the y pipes 26 and 27.

If any one pan should get an excessive amount of heat, its temperature can be readily reduced without interfering with the operation of the other pans, by pumping coll water through the respective perforated co1 In order to facilitate the taking of samples, the different pans may `be made to series of spaced independently controlled inifioseoo discharge -into separate tanks or into different divisions of a single tank placed in convenient proximity to the apparatus.

The use of heating llues spaced evenly over the entire extent of the pans provides for uniform distribution of heat and a consequent even sweating action at ay lower temperature than that required in systems in which the heat is applied from coils placed at the sides of the apparatus.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my improved wax sweating apparatus, I desire it understood that variations in details of construction and in the arrangement of the'parts of which it is composed, may be resorted to within the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims:

y l. lin wax sweating apparatus, a vertical dividual units each including a pan having a valve controlled outlet for the material, and a perforated partition dividing the pans into upper and lower compartments, a coil in the upper compartment and a perforated pipe in the lower compartment, a source of heating fluid common to all the units, a source of cooling fluid common to all the units, valve controlled connections between the coils and the said source of heating fluid, and means for connecting t-he perforated pipes of the lower compartments with either the source of heating fluid or the source of cooling fluid.

Q. In wax sweating apparatus, a vertical series of spaced independently controlled individual units each including a pan having a valve controlled outlet for the materia-l, a perforated partition dividing the pan into upper and lower compartments and a coil in the upper compartment, a source of heating fluid and a separate source of cooling fluid common to all of the units and means for connecting Ithe coils of the upper compartment with either the source of the heating fluid `or the source of the cooling fluid.

In wax sweating apparatus, a vertical series of spaced independently controlled individual units each including a pan `having a. valve controlled outlet for the material, a perforated partition dividing the pan into upper and lower compartments, a coil in the upper compartment, a perforated pipe in the lower compartment, a source of heat-ing fluid common to all of the units and a source of cooling fluid common to all of the units and means f-or connecting the coilsn of the i upper compartments with the heating fluid and for connecting the perforated pipes of the lower compartment with either the heating or cooling fluid.

et. In wax sweating apparatus, a vertical series of spaced independently controlled individual units each including a pan having a valve controlled outlet for the materiaha perforated partition dividing the p an into upper and lower compartments, a coll in the upper compartment, a perforated pipe in the lower compartment, valve controlled means common to all the units for supplying a heating fluid and a cooling fluid to the same, separate sets of heating flues extending from the bottom of each pan through the upper compartment, and a heating coil located beneath the lowermost pan.

In wax sweatingaaparatus, a vertical series of spaced indepen ently controlled individual units each including a pan having a valve controlled outlet for the materia-l, a perforated partition dividing the pan into upper and lower compartments, a coil in the upper compartment, a perforated pipe 1n the lower compartment, valve controlled means common to all the units for supplying a heating fluidand a. cooling fluid tothe same, separate sets of heating flues extending from the bottom of each pan through the upper compartment, and heating means located beneath the lowermost pan.

6. In wax sweating apparatus, a vertical series of spaced independently controlled individual units each including a pan having a valve controlled outlet for the material, a

perforated partition dividing the pan intoupper and lower compartments, a. coil in the upper compartment, a perforated pipe in the lower compartment, valve controlled means common to all the units for supplying a heatingfluid and a cooling fluid to the same, separate sets of heating flues eX- tending from the bottom of each pan through the upper compartment, means for forming a heating chamber below the lowermost pan, and a heating coil within the said chamber.`

7. In wax sweating apparatus, a vertical series of spaced independently controlled individual units each including a pau having a valve controlled outlet for the material, a perforated partition dividing the pan into upper and lower compartments, a coil in 4 the upper compartment, a perforated c pipe in the lowercompartment, valve controlled means common to all the units for supplying a. heating fluid and a cooling fluid to the same, separate sets of heating flues extending from ythe bottom of each pan through the upper compartment, and means for forming a plurality of separate heating chambers below the lowermost pan, heating coilsin the said chambers, and means common to all of such coils for supplying a 'heating fluid to the same.

Q In wax sweating apparatus, afvertical serres. of spaced independently controlled individual units each including a pan, a perforated partition dividing the p an into up-` per and lower compartments, open ended heating flues extending upwardly from the bottom of each pan and terminating in the space above the same, and heating means located below the lowermost pan.

9. In wax sweating apparatus, a vertical series of spaced independently controlled individual units each including a pan, a perforated partition dividing the pan into upper and lower compartments, open ended heating flues extending upwardly from the bottom of each pan and terminating in the space above the same,`a chamber beneath the lowermost pan in communication with the flues, and a heating means in the chamber.

10. In wax sweating apparatus, a vertical series of spaced independently controlled individual units each including a pan, a perforated partition dividing the pan into upper and lower compartments, open ended heating flues extending upwardly from the bottom of each pan and terminating in the space above the same. a chamber beneath the lowermost pan, divided into compartments communicating withthe said flues, and a separately regulatable heating means in each compartment of the said chamber.

11. In wax sweating apparatus, a vertical series of spaced independently controlled individual units each including a pan, a perforated partition dividing the pan into upper and lower compartments, open ended heating llues extending upwardly from the bottom of each pan and terminating in the space above the same, and a coil in the upper compartment of each pan, a perforated pipe in the lower compartment of the same, a source of heating fluid common to all of the units. a source of cooling fluid common to all of the units, means for connecting the said coils with the source of heating fluid, means for connecting the perforated ipe with either the source of the heating Enid or the cooling fluid, and a heating means beneath the lowermost pan.

12. In wax sweating apparatus. an open frame provided at intervals with spaced supporting means` a vertical series of independently controlled individual units each comprising a pan having a valve controlled outlet for the material, a horizontal partition dividing the pan into /upper and lower compartments, coils in the upper compartments, perforated pipes in the lower oompartments, vertical open ended flues extending through the bottoms of the pans into.

the spaces above the same, a source of heating fluid common to all of the units. a source of cooling fluid common to all of the units, valve controlled means for supplying fluid to the coils and to the perforated pipes of- ALBERT HOUSHOLDER, 

